Success is the result of a team moving in perfect sync, especially when the stakes are global. On April 29–30, 2026, Paklaunch hosted the UNConference’26 powered by aik digital at the Mövenpick Hotel Islamabad, marking the organization’s sixth anniversary. What began in 2020 as a single WhatsApp group of seven friends has evolved into a leading community linking founders with mentors and investors. This invite-only event brought together 120 global investors, founders, and policymakers to engage in an innovative open-space format.
💪 Thriving Under Pressure: The Team Behind the Scenes
At Optimize Digital Pakistan, we lived and breathed the execution alongside Paklaunch. Working within tight timelines and high-pressure windows, our team took full ownership of the end-to-end logistics to ensure a world-class environment for investment conversations.
Unified Logistics & Design: We led venue coordination, vendor alignment, and hall layouts, ensuring the physical space reflected the prestige of the attendees. This included meticulous stage design, SMD branding, and curated menu planning.
Technical Excellence: Our crew managed all audio-visual production, lighting, and real-time on-ground updates, providing comprehensive event coverage without missing a single high-impact moment.
🎙️ Curating the Conversation: AI & The New Economy
The discussions focused on Pakistan’s booming digital landscape. With a national average age of just 23, leaders like Minister of State & Chairman PVARA, Bilal Bin Saqib highlighted the need to channelize youth via AI to solve socio-economic issues in agriculture and medicine. Ali Dar (CEO, The Office of AI) had a conversation on “The AI Transformation” with Sameer Anwar (Senior Advisor, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change).
Key sessions included:
Day 01: Speaking during the opening ceremony, Rizwan Ata, President & CEO of BankIslami, highlighted the momentum of Pakistan’s booming tech. The first day had a fireside chat titled “Digital Nation Pakistan: AI, IT, and Telecom,” featuring Shaza Khawaja (Federal Minister IT & Telecommunication) and Umair Javed (Founder & CEO, Tkxel), followed by an exploration of “Pioneering Emerging Markets” led by Javed Saifullah Khan.
Day 02: ecosystem. The second day featured the inspiring keynote address by Ahmed Khattak, CEO US Mobile. The Digital Platforms & Innovation session brought together a powerhouse of leaders to discuss the scaling of consumer tech, featuring Kassim Shroff (CEO & Co-Founder, Krave Mart), Ali Fahd (President JLV, Jazzworld), Ashfaque Ahmed (Chief Officer, aik by BankIslami), Umair Masoom Usmani (Founder & CEO, myco), Ehsan Saya (Managing Director, Daraz), and Quratulain Chaudhary (Vice President, Mobilink Microfinance Bank).
The dialogue on Developing Tech Ecosystem in Pakistan focused on building sustainable environments for growth, with insights from Farhat Jahangir (Founder & CEO, GSME), Bilal Qureshi (CEO & Co-Founder, Brillanz Group), Ahsan Jamil (Managing Partner & Founder, sAi Venture Capital), Danish A. Lakhani (Founder & CEO, Nayapay), and Shehryar Hydri (Managing Director, Endeavor Pakistan), all expertly moderated by Selina Rashid (Co-Founder & Chief Executive, The Lotus Advisory).
Finally, the Investment Landscape session provided a high-level view of global and local capital flows, featuring Salman Ahmed (Global Head of Macro & Strategic Asset Allocation, Fidelity), Naiel Ikram (Managing Partner, Gobi Partners), Ali Mukhtar (Director, Fatima Group), Misbah Naqvi (Co-Founder/GP, i2i Ventures), and Uzair Gadit (Co-Founder & CEO, PureSquare), with the discussion moderated by Ali Rizvi (CEO and Co-founder, A47 News).
🤝 Powering a Global Ecosystem
Powered by “aik” digital (BankIslami) and supported by strategic partners Jazz World, Fasset, Haaf Group, platinum partners Brrilianz Group, Abhi, IRADA, AXI, Gold Partners Myco, MediaIQ, iNIT, ESoftSolutions, First Digital Takaful Ltd, Pocketmoney, GSME, Neem, Bank Islami and Silver Partners Bookme, Digitt+, Alfalah investments, Walled City, Movement, Zayn.vc, Sai and Optimize Digital, the conference highlighted growing confidence in Pakistan’s innovation landscape.
By facilitating these connections, Paklaunch helped bridge the gap between local founders and international capital across 30+ countries, shaping the future of venture capital, fintech, and cross-border growth.
This execution reflects Optimize Digital’s commitment to delivering experiences at the highest standard. As a team, we take pride in creating platforms that not only execute seamlessly but also contribute meaningfully to industry growth. We look forward to continuing this journey—building, supporting, and scaling conversations that shape the future.
